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Convergent and discriminant validity of overall defensive functioning
1Department of Psychiatry, McGill University at the Institute of Community and Family Psychiatry, Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
|September 19, 1998
Summary
This study validates overall defensive functioning (ODF) as distinct from standard diagnoses. Observer-rated ODF is reliable, but self-report measures may be influenced by subjective distress.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Clinical Assessment
Background:
- Defensive functioning is crucial in psychological health.
- Distinguishing defensive functioning from diagnostic categories is important for accurate assessment.
- Existing measures may not clearly differentiate defensive processes from subjective distress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the construct validity of overall defensive functioning (ODF).
- To determine if ODF can be discriminated from standard diagnostic assessments (Axis I-V).
- To compare observer-rated (Defense Mechanism Rating Scales - DMRS) and self-report (Defense Style Questionnaire - DSQ) measures of ODF.
Main Methods:
- Multisite field trial involving patients undergoing diagnostic interviews.
- Clinician ratings of defense mechanisms using the DMRS.
- Patient self-report measures including the SCL-90-R and DSQ.
- Factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to assess ODF construct validity.
Main Results:
- Clinical ratings of ODF were clearly distinguishable from Axis I disorders, Axis II personality disorders, global functioning, and subjective distress.
- Overlap between clinician and self-report ratings of defenses was modest.
- ODF measured by the DSQ was not clearly discriminated from subjective distress, suggesting potential distortion.
Conclusions:
- Overall defensive functioning, particularly when assessed by clinicians using the DMRS, is a valid construct separable from standard diagnostic criteria.
- Self-report measures like the DSQ may be confounded by subjective distress and are not a reliable substitute for observer-rated assessments.
- Further research is needed to clarify the utility of self-report measures in assessing defensive functioning.